November 14, 2024 • 28 mins
Beech Mountain, North Carolina, Tourism Marketing Director Armando Garcia shares the story of how this resilient mountain community responded to Hurricane Helene, with heartfelt support from both locals and visitors. As winter approaches, Beech Mountain is prepared to welcome travelers to its snowy slopes and scenic trails. In this episode, Armando provides valuable travel tips on how visitors can support nearby North Carolina communities, making for a winter getaway filled with both adventure and community spirit.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Everyone has a story to tell.
We connect and relate to oneanother when we share our
stories.
My name is Amelia Old and I amyour host of Voices of
Inspiration.
Join me as I share stories offriends, family and strangers
from my everyday life andtravels.
You will laugh, possibly cry orwalk away, feeling connected
more than ever to those aroundyou and ready to be the change
(00:24):
our world needs.
Everyone has a story to tell.
What's yours?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
First of all, thank you so much for being with me
today.
I'm so grateful.
I know things are super busyfor you.
You're about to head into abusy tourism season and there's
a lot been going on in yourcommunity, the communities
around you, so I'm reallygrateful that you took time out
of your day to be with me.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
And hi, how are you?
And on our end, I'm reallygrateful to have an opportunity
to share with your audience ourexperiences and have a voice for
our community.
So it's my pleasure to be hereand kind of chat with you a bit
about what's been happening onBeach and our surrounding
(01:21):
communities.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Can you share a bit about your role at Beach
Mountain and what you love mostabout being part of that
community?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
So I am the tourism and marketing director for the
town of Beach Mountain.
I've been visiting BeachMountain.
I've lived in South Florida fora long time and visited Beach
Mountain in the summers becausemy father-in-law had a place
here and I fell in love with thereally small town, true sense
(01:53):
of community and nature of BeachMountain, as compared to a big
city like Miami.
So that's one thing, and then,from my role, there's the
marketing aspect.
But one of the things that Ienjoy the most is I also run the
visitor center and havingpeople come in and talking to
(02:15):
them and letting them know oh,this is a great trail or your
kids are going to enjoy this.
I really that is one of themost satisfying things, rather
than the more you know, the moremarketing aspect of it.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
So unfortunately, over a month ago Hurricane
Helene came through WesternNorth Carolina and caused great
devastation.
Can you just talk a little bitabout your experience in Beach
Mountain with the storm and howyou fared, and then also a
(02:49):
little bit about your immediatesurrounding areas?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
So immediately after the storm in the particular
neighborhood area that I'm in,there really wasn't a whole lot
of damage and in fact that day,yes, our driveway washed out and
we had to fill it out before wecan leave, but standing outside
(03:15):
I thought, okay, we faredpretty well.
And then the next morning I wentover to Town Hall and I saw a
whole lot more damage and at thetime it seemed like quite a bit
of damage.
A lot of was, oh goodness,because that's when I first
found out that both roads in andout of the mountain were washed
(03:41):
out with significant damage,and that we didn't know when our
residents or visitors were ableto leave the mountain and
(04:04):
communications were completelydown.
So that first couple of days wasa bit harrowing just in terms
of the uncertainty and we didn'teven know the kind of damage
that the storm had caused in thesurrounding communities in the
beginning because we were soisolated at first.
So I think that was kind of oneof the most I don't want to say
(04:29):
traumatic, but one of theexperiences that affected me
personally most was that wantingto help the people that were
walking into Town Hall lookingfor answers and for help and not
really knowing how to guidethem and how to help them in the
immediate aftermath.
Afterwards we found out, ofcourse, that neighboring
(04:51):
communities like Banner Elksustain a whole lot more
structural damage, and othercommunities immediately in the
high country Elk Park.
Many of the homes there washedaway, which residents still
there?
And then, as the stories of thetrue effects of the storm and
community, it really became veryemotional for all of us up here
(05:17):
.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
So I'm only about two and a half to three hours away
from Beach Mountain and havebeen heavily involved with
disaster relief efforts and I'vepersonally seen, just from my
end, the various people fromacross the country that have
come together and to help andassist Western North Carolina.
(05:42):
I know me personally.
I was collecting donations withanother woman in my community
and we had an Amazon list and weended up being able to deliver
18 trucks of supplies to BannerOak and some of those supplies
came from as far away as the UKand people were just really
(06:03):
joining together to wanting tohelp.
How did you see it from yourend and being so close to some
of these communities of thepeople that were really just
jumping in, locals and thosefrom far away?
Speaker 3 (06:18):
It was really interesting that you mentioned
that because, like I said, Ilived in Miami for many years
and I've gone through severalhurricanes down in South Florida
and, while you do get thatsense of help and in this
instant being perhaps a smallercommunity, that sense of people
(06:41):
coming in to help us wasaugmented by 100%.
You mentioned how you gotdonations and help from all over
.
We had people physically comefrom Kentucky, from Texas, just
show up in their own trucks withsupplies.
(07:02):
The truth is that it was veryinspiring to see the reaction of
other people wanting toimmediately help.
We received so many suppliesourselves that at some point our
own employees started gettingthose supplies in their trucks
and taking them down toAsheville or down to Spruce Pine
(07:25):
or to other communities thatwere even more affected than us,
just because we were receivingmore than we needed, because the
kind of generosity that I sawwas amazing.
I had a mom and her teenage kidscame from Ohio and she wasn't
(07:45):
even familiar with mountainroads.
She was afraid to drive them,but there was no deterring her
from getting to the backside ofthe mountain, to that community
that had been severely damaged,and she was lost.
She didn't know how to getthere and still she was
committed to going over thereand delivering supply.
(08:07):
So it really was not a silverlining but a shining light in
such a moment of distress forthe high country.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Absolutely.
I think that even in thosefirst couple of weeks, two or
three weeks especially from frommy viewpoint it was it gave
such hope for the human race andand to see people just coming
together and not thinking twiceabout jumping in to help their
(08:41):
fellow neighbor, and I thoughtthat that was something that was
so amazing and so incredible.
And even still today, even thismorning, I was still receiving
messages about people lookingfor ways to still be able to
assist the areas around you.
You're about to head into oneof your busiest seasons, with
(09:03):
winter just around the corner.
What can visitors expect whenthey come to Beach Mountain this
winter?
Speaker 3 (09:12):
So, like I said, most of the mountain did not suffer
significant damage.
A lot of our roads did haveerosions with the side of the
roads as well have erosions withthe side of the roads as well.
The North Carolina DOT isworking diligently to correct
those fixes for winter seasonand kind of what I've been
(09:43):
saying in my counterparts.
Obviously, I've been talking tosome other area communities and
we are all kind of feeling thesame way that, for people are
returning on Beach Mountain, thelandscape has changed.
What hasn't changed is thewelcoming spirit of the high
country and its people.
I think our residents feel somuch more grateful for the
(10:07):
reaction that we've receivedthat they can definitely expect
that.
And then, in more practicalterms, I would say, for people
(10:28):
can expect that the roads maynot be as smooth as they were or
the route that they're used totaking to come over here might
not be open.
So those kinds of things Ithink visitors can expect.
At the same time, they can alsoexpect that they are going to
have a great time and a qualityexperience during winter.
Our resort is ready to open andwe are once again ready to
(10:49):
share what we consider thisbeautiful mountain with all the
visitors.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
It's by far one of my favorite places.
I love that area.
Can you talk about just some ofthe activities that are in
Beach Mountain?
Speaker 3 (11:24):
and tubing and that is a huge attraction.
Many of our visitors come fromFlorida, for example, where they
haven't seen snow, so forfamilies it's great to come up
here and see kind of snow forthe first time and enjoy those
kinds of activities.
Another huge attraction for usis we have the only free
sledding hill for kids 12 andunder in the high country, and
(11:47):
that's something it's like apark that the town provides to
citizens and visitors.
Like I said, it's free to useand you cannot imagine how many
families come up here just forthe sledding hill and to have
the kids play and have fun andsomething that doesn't break the
(12:09):
wallet for families, so that Ithink it's one of our key
attractions and is loved fromnear and far, if you will.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
I think that I need to come do that.
I've actually never done that.
I've never been skiing as closeas I live to you.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Oh it's a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
So how can visitors make a positive impact and
support local businesses whenthey're in Beach Mountain impact
and support local businesseswhen they're in Beach Mountain.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
So for sure for Beach Mountain and for the entire
high country area, because we'reall very close-knit, if you
will.
But I think that if you'recoming, stay here, spend a
couple of days.
Helping lodging businesses andbringing in those needed funds
is very important.
(13:04):
Eat locally, maybe buy a giftcard to a restaurant or a shop.
I think that supporting thebusinesses at this time is going
to extremely help in ensuringthat the whole area prospers.
Usually, one of our secondbiggest in terms of tourism and
(13:28):
prosperity for the area is leafpeeping season.
We have a lot of visitorsduring that time and we kind of
lost that with Helene.
Helene came right in time totake our leaves away.
So I think that whatever anyonethat wants to help can do to
(13:48):
spend time here and spend moneyand resources in local
businesses will be a great,great help to ensure the
prosperity of the area great,great help to ensure the
prosperity of the area Fortravelers who are coming.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
You know there are, as we've talked about,
communities around you thatweren't as fortunate and that
are still very much in the midstof picking up the pieces.
So how can travelers beconsiderate of the nearby
communities while also feelingcomfortable in taking a trip?
At the moment, I know somepeople are afraid to take a trip
(14:30):
or they don't think thatanything's happening.
So what would you say toencourage them that it is a good
thing to come and support youguys.
But there are ways you couldstill be considerate to the
nearby communities.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
I think the most important thing in those terms
is to plan ahead.
Go ahead and find out whatcommunities are open, what
attractions are open, and makesure that you're respectful of
those.
They are devastated.
I'll give you an example that Ifound very inspiring as well.
(15:29):
Right here on Beach Mountain,one of our dispatchers on the
day of the storm found out thather home had been destroyed.
Her family was fine, but herhome was destroyed, and this
woman decided that, since herfamily was fine, she was going
(15:52):
to stay at work and help peoplein the community that need it
and were trying to reach 911.
And I just thought, number one,that was an amazing show of
character and, number two, thepeople walking in weren't aware
that her situation was even moredire than what they knew about.
(16:15):
So I think that just beingrespectful of people, having a
little more patience than youwould normally, if you will, and
understanding what communitiesare open and what communities
are ready to welcome you, thatwould be very helpful in
planning a trip, while stillbeing respectful of communities
(16:36):
that might be still struggling alittle bit more that might be
still struggling a little bitmore.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Absolutely, I think the saying of you know you never
know what someone is goingthrough in any given moment and
being able to treat them withkindness and patience, and
that's a really great example.
If you don't know, you knowsomeone might not share what
they have going on behind closeddoors or at home.
They may want to work, might betheir escape at the moment to
(17:09):
get away from the devastationsthat they have faced at home.
So I think that that's reallyimportant to be patient and kind
with those that are helping youin various areas of Beach
Mountain and also the othercommunities.
How has Beach Mountain adjustedits approach to welcoming
(17:29):
visitors to make sure they feelat ease during this time?
Speaker 3 (17:35):
We have both our town leadership and DOT.
It's working diligently to makesure that the roads are safe.
That we know, especially withwinter coming and many of our
visitors not used to driving inthe snow and to the curvy roads.
(17:56):
First and foremost, we want tomake sure that our roads are
taken care of and are safe.
And another thing, I think, iscommunications.
We have an update page on ourwebsite.
We're doing big communicationcampaigns in both social media
and through newsletters fromprevious visitors newsletters
(18:17):
from previous visitors just tokind of let them know what to
expect, what there might be as achallenge, what might be
different, and make sure thatthey feel comfortable and at
ease, that when they do come,the experience is going to be a
positive one.
I think that that is one of thebig keys to making sure we want
(18:43):
to ensure that our visitorsthat do come not only enjoy the
experience but leave with theunderstanding that the town and
the communities thought abouttheir well-being and made sure
that things were in place fortheir safety.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Absolutely so.
You've mentioned a couple, butI just am curious do you have
any other moments during thistime that really just you know?
Speaker 3 (19:16):
like you said, you moved from South Florida and now
you're in this differentcommunity Is there a specific
(19:42):
moment that just really juststopped you in your tracks and
you felt overwhelmingly inspiredand had hope and appreciation
for those in your community.
There are several instances.
One that I found very amazingwas, as I mentioned, the first
two or three days there was noway to come up or down the
mountain and we were in TownHall and suddenly this young man
appeared and he had actuallycome from Boone to make sure
people were safe on BeachMountain because there was no
(20:06):
way of reaching us andcommunicating.
And he actually I'm not evensure what kind of vehicle he
came up, but there was no road.
He just came up through theside of the mountain, through
rocks, through giant potholes,through land, just to appear to
say I'm a first responder, howcan I help?
(20:26):
Just to appear to say I'm afirst responder, how can I help?
And I thought that was amazing,not just in his desire to help
but in the fact that it couldhave been very dangerous for him
.
Another incident that I foundwas amazing we got a call from a
family member in WashingtonState when we were finally able
(20:48):
to get phones a couple of daysafter, and they talked to one of
the town employees.
Their parents were 85-year-oldsand they hadn't heard from them
.
And our police department, ofcourse, was doing wellness check
.
And this particular couple wasin an area where the roads were
blocked by trees.
They were in their 80s.
Where the roads were blocked bytrees, they were in their 80s
(21:16):
and this town employee made ithis personal mission to make
sure that this couple was takencare of and was able to leave
the mountain as quickly aspossible.
He got tree cutters, volunteersto come and clear their road.
He went and took them food onmore than one occasion.
He would drive to the far endof the mountain the only place
where there was cell service, tomake sure that the family knew
(21:39):
their family members were safeand kind of coordinated with the
family to make sure that theywere out to safety as quickly as
possible.
So, and I'm proud of all of ouremployees, but I thought that
in this particular instance thatwas a true sense of going above
(22:00):
and beyond to make sure thatresidents were safe.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
That's amazing Okay, we goosebumps.
Save that's amazing Okay, wegoosebumps.
For those who want to help outwhen they are in the area or if
they're from afar.
Are there any local initiativestied to Beach Mountain where
they can volunteer or donate?
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Yes, there is actually.
Beach Mountain.
Cares is a non-profit here onthe mountain.
There's information on it onour website and then Feeding
Avery Families.
It's another excellent resourceand another way to help that's
county-wise, so that's not justBeach Mountain, but it helps all
(22:44):
the communities within thecounty.
It helps all the communitieswithin the county and, like I
mentioned, we do have on ourwebsite a Helene page and we
have several links for otheropportunities where people can
donate either good money or eventheir time and services.
So that would be a goodresource for listeners.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
What's your favorite thing to do in Beach Mountain?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
So, even though we're known for winter, my favorite
thing to do on Beach Mountain ishiking over 27 miles of hiking
trails, with all sorts ofadventures, from going along
(23:33):
beautiful creeks and smallwaterfalls to going to the
summit and having spectacularsurrounding views of even up to
three states so that's one of myfavorite things to do.
Unfortunately, some of ourtrails did have substantial
damage and it's going to be awhile before they're open to the
(23:58):
public again.
We've talked to our Park andRecreation Department and
they're confident that by springthey will be able to open all
the trails once again.
But as of now we have about 12open trails, out of our normal
we have about 22.
And the Emerald Outback TrailPark, which is at the summit.
(24:22):
Thankfully that was intact andthat's one of the ones where you
get those spectacular overviewsand looks, where you can just
see the entire beauty of themountain and its surrounding
area from there.
So I thought it was magnificentthat that is still intact and
(24:43):
open to the public so that theycan experience it when they come
to the public so that they canexperience it when they come.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
So if any of our listeners or viewers want to
find you guys online, can youshare your?
Speaker 3 (24:57):
website or any of your social media, Sure.
So our website is beachmtncomand our social media is Beach
(25:20):
Mountain NC.
At Beach Mountain NC onInstagram.
Right now, we have beenfocusing not just on letting
visitors know that we are openand we are ready to welcome them
, especially in ski season, butwe are still posting a lot of
resources where people can helpthe area.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
So I have one more question.
I ask everyone that comes onthis do you have a favorite
quote or a piece of wisdom oradvice that you would like to
leave behind?
Speaker 3 (26:11):
encompasses for me what it is to be on Beach
Mountain and to live on BeachMountain.
It would be that beingsurrounded and feeling the
strength and the power of nature, it's really a healing source
that can help you with anystress and any sorrow kind of
seems to vanish a bit when Ipull into my house and there is
(26:32):
a deer on my driveway trying tosee if I have something to feed
it.
They actually Beach Mountain isfamous for the deer population
and they even come into thegarage.
They're not afraid of people atall, into the garage, they're
not afraid of people at all.
But I think that having thatinteraction with the beauty of
(26:55):
natural resources and of otherliving things that we share the
planet with, that to me is sucha strong sense of healing that I
think that's what I would leaveyour listeners with.
Make sure you experience thatin your life.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Thank you so much.
I love that.
I really appreciate you beingwith me today.
I think that it is so importantto share what you guys have
been through and to also letpeople know that you need them
and you need for them to stillcome and experience Beach
(27:34):
Mountain and that they can do so, and they can do so safely and
they can do so while still beingsensitive to everyone else
around them.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Absolutely.
And again, thank you so muchfor giving us a forum and an
opportunity to share those verythoughts with your listeners.
Everyone has a story to tell.
We connect and relate to oneanother when we share our
stories.
My name is Amelia Old and I amyour host of Voices of
Inspiration.
Join me as I share stories offriends, family and strangers
from my everyday life andtravels.
You will laugh, possibly cry orwalk away, feeling connected
more than ever to those aroundyou and ready to be the change
(00:24):
our world needs.
Everyone has a story to tell.
What's yours?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
First of all, thank you so much for being with me
today.
I'm so grateful.
I know things are super busyfor you.
You're about to head into abusy tourism season and there's
a lot been going on in yourcommunity, the communities
around you, so I'm reallygrateful that you took time out
of your day to be with me.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
And hi, how are you?
And on our end, I'm reallygrateful to have an opportunity
to share with your audience ourexperiences and have a voice for
our community.
So it's my pleasure to be hereand kind of chat with you a bit
about what's been happening onBeach and our surrounding
(01:21):
communities.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Can you share a bit about your role at Beach
Mountain and what you love mostabout being part of that
community?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
So I am the tourism and marketing director for the
town of Beach Mountain.
I've been visiting BeachMountain.
I've lived in South Florida fora long time and visited Beach
Mountain in the summers becausemy father-in-law had a place
here and I fell in love with thereally small town, true sense
(01:53):
of community and nature of BeachMountain, as compared to a big
city like Miami.
So that's one thing, and then,from my role, there's the
marketing aspect.
But one of the things that Ienjoy the most is I also run the
visitor center and havingpeople come in and talking to
(02:15):
them and letting them know oh,this is a great trail or your
kids are going to enjoy this.
I really that is one of themost satisfying things, rather
than the more you know, the moremarketing aspect of it.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
So unfortunately, over a month ago Hurricane
Helene came through WesternNorth Carolina and caused great
devastation.
Can you just talk a little bitabout your experience in Beach
Mountain with the storm and howyou fared, and then also a
(02:49):
little bit about your immediatesurrounding areas?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
So immediately after the storm in the particular
neighborhood area that I'm in,there really wasn't a whole lot
of damage and in fact that day,yes, our driveway washed out and
we had to fill it out before wecan leave, but standing outside
(03:15):
I thought, okay, we faredpretty well.
And then the next morning I wentover to Town Hall and I saw a
whole lot more damage and at thetime it seemed like quite a bit
of damage.
A lot of was, oh goodness,because that's when I first
found out that both roads in andout of the mountain were washed
(03:41):
out with significant damage,and that we didn't know when our
residents or visitors were ableto leave the mountain and
(04:04):
communications were completelydown.
So that first couple of days wasa bit harrowing just in terms
of the uncertainty and we didn'teven know the kind of damage
that the storm had caused in thesurrounding communities in the
beginning because we were soisolated at first.
So I think that was kind of oneof the most I don't want to say
(04:29):
traumatic, but one of theexperiences that affected me
personally most was that wantingto help the people that were
walking into Town Hall lookingfor answers and for help and not
really knowing how to guidethem and how to help them in the
immediate aftermath.
Afterwards we found out, ofcourse, that neighboring
(04:51):
communities like Banner Elksustain a whole lot more
structural damage, and othercommunities immediately in the
high country Elk Park.
Many of the homes there washedaway, which residents still
there?
And then, as the stories of thetrue effects of the storm and
community, it really became veryemotional for all of us up here
(05:17):
.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
So I'm only about two and a half to three hours away
from Beach Mountain and havebeen heavily involved with
disaster relief efforts and I'vepersonally seen, just from my
end, the various people fromacross the country that have
come together and to help andassist Western North Carolina.
(05:42):
I know me personally.
I was collecting donations withanother woman in my community
and we had an Amazon list and weended up being able to deliver
18 trucks of supplies to BannerOak and some of those supplies
came from as far away as the UKand people were just really
(06:03):
joining together to wanting tohelp.
How did you see it from yourend and being so close to some
of these communities of thepeople that were really just
jumping in, locals and thosefrom far away?
Speaker 3 (06:18):
It was really interesting that you mentioned
that because, like I said, Ilived in Miami for many years
and I've gone through severalhurricanes down in South Florida
and, while you do get thatsense of help and in this
instant being perhaps a smallercommunity, that sense of people
(06:41):
coming in to help us wasaugmented by 100%.
You mentioned how you gotdonations and help from all over
.
We had people physically comefrom Kentucky, from Texas, just
show up in their own trucks withsupplies.
(07:02):
The truth is that it was veryinspiring to see the reaction of
other people wanting toimmediately help.
We received so many suppliesourselves that at some point our
own employees started gettingthose supplies in their trucks
and taking them down toAsheville or down to Spruce Pine
(07:25):
or to other communities thatwere even more affected than us,
just because we were receivingmore than we needed, because the
kind of generosity that I sawwas amazing.
I had a mom and her teenage kidscame from Ohio and she wasn't
(07:45):
even familiar with mountainroads.
She was afraid to drive them,but there was no deterring her
from getting to the backside ofthe mountain, to that community
that had been severely damaged,and she was lost.
She didn't know how to getthere and still she was
committed to going over thereand delivering supply.
(08:07):
So it really was not a silverlining but a shining light in
such a moment of distress forthe high country.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Absolutely.
I think that even in thosefirst couple of weeks, two or
three weeks especially from frommy viewpoint it was it gave
such hope for the human race andand to see people just coming
together and not thinking twiceabout jumping in to help their
(08:41):
fellow neighbor, and I thoughtthat that was something that was
so amazing and so incredible.
And even still today, even thismorning, I was still receiving
messages about people lookingfor ways to still be able to
assist the areas around you.
You're about to head into oneof your busiest seasons, with
(09:03):
winter just around the corner.
What can visitors expect whenthey come to Beach Mountain this
winter?
Speaker 3 (09:12):
So, like I said, most of the mountain did not suffer
significant damage.
A lot of our roads did haveerosions with the side of the
roads as well have erosions withthe side of the roads as well.
The North Carolina DOT isworking diligently to correct
those fixes for winter seasonand kind of what I've been
(09:43):
saying in my counterparts.
Obviously, I've been talking tosome other area communities and
we are all kind of feeling thesame way that, for people are
returning on Beach Mountain, thelandscape has changed.
What hasn't changed is thewelcoming spirit of the high
country and its people.
I think our residents feel somuch more grateful for the
(10:07):
reaction that we've receivedthat they can definitely expect
that.
And then, in more practicalterms, I would say, for people
(10:28):
can expect that the roads maynot be as smooth as they were or
the route that they're used totaking to come over here might
not be open.
So those kinds of things Ithink visitors can expect.
At the same time, they can alsoexpect that they are going to
have a great time and a qualityexperience during winter.
Our resort is ready to open andwe are once again ready to
(10:49):
share what we consider thisbeautiful mountain with all the
visitors.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
It's by far one of my favorite places.
I love that area.
Can you talk about just some ofthe activities that are in
Beach Mountain?
Speaker 3 (11:24):
and tubing and that is a huge attraction.
Many of our visitors come fromFlorida, for example, where they
haven't seen snow, so forfamilies it's great to come up
here and see kind of snow forthe first time and enjoy those
kinds of activities.
Another huge attraction for usis we have the only free
sledding hill for kids 12 andunder in the high country, and
(11:47):
that's something it's like apark that the town provides to
citizens and visitors.
Like I said, it's free to useand you cannot imagine how many
families come up here just forthe sledding hill and to have
the kids play and have fun andsomething that doesn't break the
(12:09):
wallet for families, so that Ithink it's one of our key
attractions and is loved fromnear and far, if you will.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
I think that I need to come do that.
I've actually never done that.
I've never been skiing as closeas I live to you.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Oh it's a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
So how can visitors make a positive impact and
support local businesses whenthey're in Beach Mountain impact
and support local businesseswhen they're in Beach Mountain.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
So for sure for Beach Mountain and for the entire
high country area, because we'reall very close-knit, if you
will.
But I think that if you'recoming, stay here, spend a
couple of days.
Helping lodging businesses andbringing in those needed funds
is very important.
(13:04):
Eat locally, maybe buy a giftcard to a restaurant or a shop.
I think that supporting thebusinesses at this time is going
to extremely help in ensuringthat the whole area prospers.
Usually, one of our secondbiggest in terms of tourism and
(13:28):
prosperity for the area is leafpeeping season.
We have a lot of visitorsduring that time and we kind of
lost that with Helene.
Helene came right in time totake our leaves away.
So I think that whatever anyonethat wants to help can do to
(13:48):
spend time here and spend moneyand resources in local
businesses will be a great,great help to ensure the
prosperity of the area great,great help to ensure the
prosperity of the area Fortravelers who are coming.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
You know there are, as we've talked about,
communities around you thatweren't as fortunate and that
are still very much in the midstof picking up the pieces.
So how can travelers beconsiderate of the nearby
communities while also feelingcomfortable in taking a trip?
At the moment, I know somepeople are afraid to take a trip
(14:30):
or they don't think thatanything's happening.
So what would you say toencourage them that it is a good
thing to come and support youguys.
But there are ways you couldstill be considerate to the
nearby communities.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
I think the most important thing in those terms
is to plan ahead.
Go ahead and find out whatcommunities are open, what
attractions are open, and makesure that you're respectful of
those.
They are devastated.
I'll give you an example that Ifound very inspiring as well.
(15:29):
Right here on Beach Mountain,one of our dispatchers on the
day of the storm found out thather home had been destroyed.
Her family was fine, but herhome was destroyed, and this
woman decided that, since herfamily was fine, she was going
(15:52):
to stay at work and help peoplein the community that need it
and were trying to reach 911.
And I just thought, number one,that was an amazing show of
character and, number two, thepeople walking in weren't aware
that her situation was even moredire than what they knew about.
(16:15):
So I think that just beingrespectful of people, having a
little more patience than youwould normally, if you will, and
understanding what communitiesare open and what communities
are ready to welcome you, thatwould be very helpful in
planning a trip, while stillbeing respectful of communities
(16:36):
that might be still struggling alittle bit more that might be
still struggling a little bitmore.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Absolutely, I think the saying of you know you never
know what someone is goingthrough in any given moment and
being able to treat them withkindness and patience, and
that's a really great example.
If you don't know, you knowsomeone might not share what
they have going on behind closeddoors or at home.
They may want to work, might betheir escape at the moment to
(17:09):
get away from the devastationsthat they have faced at home.
So I think that that's reallyimportant to be patient and kind
with those that are helping youin various areas of Beach
Mountain and also the othercommunities.
How has Beach Mountain adjustedits approach to welcoming
(17:29):
visitors to make sure they feelat ease during this time?
Speaker 3 (17:35):
We have both our town leadership and DOT.
It's working diligently to makesure that the roads are safe.
That we know, especially withwinter coming and many of our
visitors not used to driving inthe snow and to the curvy roads.
(17:56):
First and foremost, we want tomake sure that our roads are
taken care of and are safe.
And another thing, I think, iscommunications.
We have an update page on ourwebsite.
We're doing big communicationcampaigns in both social media
and through newsletters fromprevious visitors newsletters
(18:17):
from previous visitors just tokind of let them know what to
expect, what there might be as achallenge, what might be
different, and make sure thatthey feel comfortable and at
ease, that when they do come,the experience is going to be a
positive one.
I think that that is one of thebig keys to making sure we want
(18:43):
to ensure that our visitorsthat do come not only enjoy the
experience but leave with theunderstanding that the town and
the communities thought abouttheir well-being and made sure
that things were in place fortheir safety.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Absolutely so.
You've mentioned a couple, butI just am curious do you have
any other moments during thistime that really just you know?
Speaker 3 (19:16):
like you said, you moved from South Florida and now
you're in this differentcommunity Is there a specific
(19:42):
moment that just really juststopped you in your tracks and
you felt overwhelmingly inspiredand had hope and appreciation
for those in your community.
There are several instances.
One that I found very amazingwas, as I mentioned, the first
two or three days there was noway to come up or down the
mountain and we were in TownHall and suddenly this young man
appeared and he had actuallycome from Boone to make sure
people were safe on BeachMountain because there was no
(20:06):
way of reaching us andcommunicating.
And he actually I'm not evensure what kind of vehicle he
came up, but there was no road.
He just came up through theside of the mountain, through
rocks, through giant potholes,through land, just to appear to
say I'm a first responder, howcan I help?
(20:26):
Just to appear to say I'm afirst responder, how can I help?
And I thought that was amazing,not just in his desire to help
but in the fact that it couldhave been very dangerous for him
.
Another incident that I foundwas amazing we got a call from a
family member in WashingtonState when we were finally able
(20:48):
to get phones a couple of daysafter, and they talked to one of
the town employees.
Their parents were 85-year-oldsand they hadn't heard from them
.
And our police department, ofcourse, was doing wellness check
.
And this particular couple wasin an area where the roads were
blocked by trees.
They were in their 80s.
Where the roads were blocked bytrees, they were in their 80s
(21:16):
and this town employee made ithis personal mission to make
sure that this couple was takencare of and was able to leave
the mountain as quickly aspossible.
He got tree cutters, volunteersto come and clear their road.
He went and took them food onmore than one occasion.
He would drive to the far endof the mountain the only place
where there was cell service, tomake sure that the family knew
(21:39):
their family members were safeand kind of coordinated with the
family to make sure that theywere out to safety as quickly as
possible.
So, and I'm proud of all of ouremployees, but I thought that
in this particular instance thatwas a true sense of going above
(22:00):
and beyond to make sure thatresidents were safe.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
That's amazing Okay, we goosebumps.
Save that's amazing Okay, wegoosebumps.
For those who want to help outwhen they are in the area or if
they're from afar.
Are there any local initiativestied to Beach Mountain where
they can volunteer or donate?
Speaker 3 (22:21):
Yes, there is actually.
Beach Mountain.
Cares is a non-profit here onthe mountain.
There's information on it onour website and then Feeding
Avery Families.
It's another excellent resourceand another way to help that's
county-wise, so that's not justBeach Mountain, but it helps all
(22:44):
the communities within thecounty.
It helps all the communitieswithin the county and, like I
mentioned, we do have on ourwebsite a Helene page and we
have several links for otheropportunities where people can
donate either good money or eventheir time and services.
So that would be a goodresource for listeners.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
What's your favorite thing to do in Beach Mountain?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
So, even though we're known for winter, my favorite
thing to do on Beach Mountain ishiking over 27 miles of hiking
trails, with all sorts ofadventures, from going along
(23:33):
beautiful creeks and smallwaterfalls to going to the
summit and having spectacularsurrounding views of even up to
three states so that's one of myfavorite things to do.
Unfortunately, some of ourtrails did have substantial
damage and it's going to be awhile before they're open to the
(23:58):
public again.
We've talked to our Park andRecreation Department and
they're confident that by springthey will be able to open all
the trails once again.
But as of now we have about 12open trails, out of our normal
we have about 22.
And the Emerald Outback TrailPark, which is at the summit.
(24:22):
Thankfully that was intact andthat's one of the ones where you
get those spectacular overviewsand looks, where you can just
see the entire beauty of themountain and its surrounding
area from there.
So I thought it was magnificentthat that is still intact and
(24:43):
open to the public so that theycan experience it when they come
to the public so that they canexperience it when they come.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
So if any of our listeners or viewers want to
find you guys online, can youshare your?
Speaker 3 (24:57):
website or any of your social media, Sure.
So our website is beachmtncomand our social media is Beach
(25:20):
Mountain NC.
At Beach Mountain NC onInstagram.
Right now, we have beenfocusing not just on letting
visitors know that we are openand we are ready to welcome them
, especially in ski season, butwe are still posting a lot of
resources where people can helpthe area.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
So I have one more question.
I ask everyone that comes onthis do you have a favorite
quote or a piece of wisdom oradvice that you would like to
leave behind?
Speaker 3 (26:11):
encompasses for me what it is to be on Beach
Mountain and to live on BeachMountain.
It would be that beingsurrounded and feeling the
strength and the power of nature, it's really a healing source
that can help you with anystress and any sorrow kind of
seems to vanish a bit when Ipull into my house and there is
(26:32):
a deer on my driveway trying tosee if I have something to feed
it.
They actually Beach Mountain isfamous for the deer population
and they even come into thegarage.
They're not afraid of people atall, into the garage, they're
not afraid of people at all.
But I think that having thatinteraction with the beauty of
(26:55):
natural resources and of otherliving things that we share the
planet with, that to me is sucha strong sense of healing that I
think that's what I would leaveyour listeners with.
Make sure you experience thatin your life.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Thank you so much.
I love that.
I really appreciate you beingwith me today.
I think that it is so importantto share what you guys have
been through and to also letpeople know that you need them
and you need for them to stillcome and experience Beach
(27:34):
Mountain and that they can do so, and they can do so safely and
they can do so while still beingsensitive to everyone else
around them.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Absolutely.
And again, thank you so muchfor giving us a forum and an
opportunity to share those verythoughts with your listeners.
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